Gas range



Feb. 20, 19.45. J, F- HENNESSY 2,369,825

GAS RANGE Filed Sept. 2, 1941 mlll Patented Feb. 20, 1945 GAS RANGE John F. Hennessy, Rockford, Ill., assignor to Geo.

D. Roper Corporation, Rockford, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application September 2, 1941, Serial No. 409,188

Claims.

This invention relates to an improved gas range.

Where the oven burner of a gas range does not have an automatic lighter, and that is true in a large majority oi cases, the housewife is often worried that the burner has been extinguished, and the oven, and eventually the kitchen. will fill with gas, and she knows that a gas lled oven is an explosion hazard. In the gas ranges as heretofore constructed it has been most diiicult and awkward for the housewife to check on whether or not the oven burner is burning. Usually there was only one or two holes in the oven bottom through which the flame of the oven burner could be seen, but then only by stunningT down far enough into the hot oven to peer through the small hole. It is therefore the principal object of my invention to provide a window in the oven bottom located far enough rearwardly from the front end of the oven so that the oven burner flame may easily he seen through the window by the housewife standing substantially erect in front of the range, when the oven door is opened, the line of sight being at an angle of approximately 45 to a horizontal as against about with the old arrangement. and the Window being furthermore brought into much closer proximity to the name with the new arrangement for better visibility.

In accordance with another object or my invention, the window is made of lens form so that the illumination of the window is a sufficient indication to the housewife that the gas is burning, without actually seeing the jets.

Still another object consists in the provision of the window lens with a nearly flat top over which utensils may be slid easily into and out of the oven. the lens having an annular flange provided thereon for support thereof between the top and bottom walls of the hollow oven bottom.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view oi a gas range embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section in the piane of the line 2-2 oi Figure 1, and

Fig. 3 is a detail view looking at the front. portion of the oven bottom from beneath.

The same reference numerals are applied toy corresponding parts throughout the views.

In Figure l the reference numeral 4 designates a domestic gas range, the entire top 6 o which is approximately at the same elevation as a table top. The knobs indicated at 6 are for the control of cooking top burners located in the areas indicated in dotted lines at 1, in the top 5. 8 is the dial for the usual oven heat regulator associated with the oven 9. A front portion of the oven burner lll appears in vertical section in Fig. 2 in the upper portion of the broiling oven II. While the oven burner may be of any suitable type, the one shown is like that disclosed in my Patent No. 2,253,178, issued August 19. 1941. I2 is the door for the baking oven and I3 is the door for the broiler drawer.

The oven burner III as indicated in Fig. 2 has a supporting arm I4 extending forwardly therefrom and resting on a ledge I5 provided on the lower end of a sheet metal hanger bracket I6 that is suitably secured at its upper end l1 to the underside of a, sheet metal cross-piece i8 which is in the nature of a threshold for the baking oven 9, being at the front end thereof next to the door I2. A lighting hole lil is provided at the middle of the cross-piece I8 in register with the upper open end of an L-shaped gas conduit 20, The latter is secured as indicated at 2|A onto the bottom of the arm I4 on the burner with the mouth 22 thereof in close proximity to one or more of the ports 23 of the burner lil in order to conduct gas from the oven burner I0 to the hole I9 where it can be ignited with a lighted match so as to light the burner by flashback through the conduit 20 in a well known manner. One or more other holes 24 is provided in the cross-piece I8 in laterally spaced relation to the lighter hole IB partly for ventilation of. the oven 9 and partly as peep holes for ascertaining whether the burner has been actually ignited and is still burning. The dotted line ab in Fig. 2 is the approximate line of sight. and it is evident from this that the housewife had to stoop pretty low in order to see the ame 25 through either of these holes. If the oven burner was turned on for any length of time. the heat of the oven naturally added to the disagreeableness in checking the burner that old way. With my invention the burner can be checked without stooping and without getting the face at all close to the hot oven.

In accordance with my invention, a window hole 26 is provided in the removable oven bottom 21 in rearwardly spaced relation to the holes 24 so that the housewife standing substantially erect in iront of the range with the oven door I2 opened can look down into the oven past the lower edge-28 of the upper front panel 29 and see the flame 25 through the hole 26. The steepness oi' the line of sight is indicated by the dot and dash line cd in Fig. 2 in contrast to the ilat angle of the line of sight ab. The lens 30 in the hole 28 concentrates the light rays like a bulls-eye on a lantern, and the housewife there- 5 fore has no dlfliculty whatsoever in checking the burner, because if the gas is burning, the lens 30 will be illuminated and the light will show up very clearly in the relatively d ark oven space. As a result, the housewife need not stand directly l in front of the oven as indicated by the line of sight cd, but may stand oil' to one side as indicated by the line of sight cd1 or the line of sight cd: in Figure l, it being only necessary to get a glimpse of the lens I0. This feature eliminates l5 any uncertainty, and the housewife does not have to worry about the possibility of the oven filling with unburned gas. While this feature is particularly desirable in ranges where the burner is lighted by hand in the manner described above, it is also highly desirable even in ranges equipped with automatic oven lighters, because the housewife in any even likes to know before she closes the oven door that the burner is func-i tioning properly. The lens Il is molded to the i plano-convex form shown using good clear glass similar to that used in plate glass.

The oven bottom 21 as indicated in Fig. 2 rests on a ledge 3l provided on the front of the crosspiece Il, and as indicated in Figure l, the oven bottom is releasably secured in place by rotary fasteners 32 provided on the inner side walls of the oven. The housewife therefore has easy access to the lens lil for cleaning. The oven bottom 21 is made up of an upper sheet metal 35 panel i3 and a lower sheet metal panel 3l, the flanged edges l5 and 36 of which have a telescoping nt. These panels are suitably secured together as by means of rivets l1. The body of the lens In is of frusta-conical form with the top surface 3l convex, as shown, and utensils may be slid over it easily. The taper on all sides of the lens also reduces the likelihood of a utensil catching thereon and failing to ride over the lens. The top surface 38 is furthermore slightly 45 below the plane of the upstanding rim portion 1! of the upper panel I3 to protect the lens against too much contact with the bottoms of utensils as they are slid into and out of the oven over the rim 3l closely adjacent the lens. The metal 50 around the hole 2B is swedged upwardly as indicated at l0 for a fairly tight t on the tapered sides of the lens Il so that grease and food particles will not be apt to collect around the lens. An annular ange Il on the lens prevents upward displacement thereof through the hole 26. A circular hole l2 is provided in the lower panel 34 of the oven bottom, and lugs Il project radially inwardly at circumferentially spaced points around this hole to engage the fiat bottom surface 4l of the lens In and retain it against downward displacement. However, should it be necessary at any time to remove the lens and replace it, due, for example, to breakage, these lugs 4I could be bent enough to permit removal o5 and replacement of the lens.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn to cover all legitimate modificatlons and adaptations.

I claim:

1. In a gas range, the combination of a haking oven having a substantially horizontal bottom. a gas burner in a compartment under the oven bottom, said burner being spaced below but in close heat transfer relation to the oven bottom, the oven having a door closing the open front end thereof, said oven bottom having a window provided therein in forwardly spaced relation to the burner, and a light concentrating frusto-conical lens supported substantially horizontally in said window hole with the smaller side up whereby said lens is illuminated by the flame of the burner, the illumination being easily visible through the open front end of the oven without necessarily viewing the burner on the aforesaid line of sight.

2. In combination, a hollow walled oven bottom for a gas range, comprising spaced, substantially parallel, upper and lower sheet metal walls, said walls having registering window holes provided therein, a plano-convex lens disposed in said window holes with the flat face thereof on the bottom and the convex face on top, said lens having a marginal portion disposed between the walls to prevent displacement of the lens from the holes, the flat bottom. face being adapted to be placed in illuminating proximity to the flame of an oven burner, and means for securing the walls in fixed spaced relation holding the lens therebetween.

3. In combination, a hollow walled oven bottom for a gas range comprising spaced substantially parallel upper and lower sheet metal panels, said panels having registering holes provided therein,- a closure of transparent heat resistant material for said holes, the closure having a marginal portion disposed between the panels to prevent displacement oi the closure from the holes, and means for securing the panels together, the closure comprising a glass plug of generally circular form with a marginally projecting rim portion `engaged between the panels, the circular body portion of said plug projecting upwardly through the hole in the upper panel, the hole in the lower panel being of approximately the same shape and dimensions as the rim portion of the plug and registering therewith, said lower panel having one or moreprojections thereon extending substantially radially inwardly from the hole under the rim portion of said plug to hold the same against downward displacement through Y said hole while permitting substantially unobstructed passage of light through the plug.

4. In combination, a hollow walled oven bottom for a gas range comprising spaced substantially parallel upper and lower sheet metal panels, said panels having registering holes provided therein, a closure of transparent heat resistant material for said holes, the closure having a marginal portion disposed between the panels to prevent displacement ol' the closure from the holes, and means for securing the panels together, the closure comprising a glass plug of generally circular form with a marginally projecting rim portion engaged between the panels, the circular body portion of said plug being of frusta-conical form and projecting upwardly through the hole in the upper panel and having a wedging ilt therein.

5. In combination, a hollow walled oven bottom for a gas range comprising spaced substantially parallel upper and lower sheet metal panels, said panels having registering holes provided therein, a closure oi' transparent heat resistant material for said holes, the closure having a marginal portion disposed between the panels to prevent displacement oi' the closure from the holes.

therein, the sheet metal of the upper panel around the hole being bent upwardly to provide an inclined annular ilange for wedging engagement with the periphery of the frusto-conical 5 body portion of said plug.

JOHN F. HENNESSY.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,569,825.

February 2O 19,45.

JOHN F H ENNESSY It is hereby certifiedtlwlJ error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, second column, line 5, claim l, after the syllable "dow" insert -hole;

lines ll t0 15, same claim, strike out the words "without necessarily viewing the burner on the aforesaid line of sight" and insert instead said lens being disposed so as to permit utensils to be slid over the when they are placed on the oven bott0m-;

same readily and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the seme may conform to the record of the oase in the Patent Office.

signed and sealed this 22nd day of may, A. D. 19h15.

(Seal) Leslie Frazer Acting Commissioner of Patents.

therein, the sheet metal of the upper panel around the hole being bent upwardly to provide an inclined annular ilange for wedging engagement with the periphery of the frusto-conical 5 body portion of said plug.

JOHN F. HENNESSY.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,569,825.

February 2O 19,45.

JOHN F H ENNESSY It is hereby certifiedtlwlJ error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, second column, line 5, claim l, after the syllable "dow" insert -hole;

lines ll t0 15, same claim, strike out the words "without necessarily viewing the burner on the aforesaid line of sight" and insert instead said lens being disposed so as to permit utensils to be slid over the when they are placed on the oven bott0m-;

same readily and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the seme may conform to the record of the oase in the Patent Office.

signed and sealed this 22nd day of may, A. D. 19h15.

(Seal) Leslie Frazer Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

